System for determining hitch angle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9683848-B2
Application number	US-201414459865-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2014
Priority date	Apr 19, 2011
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

A system for determining a hitch angle between a vehicle and trailer is provided. The system includes an imaging device disposed on the trailer. A first navigation system is disposed on-board the vehicle. A second navigation system is integrated with the imaging device. A controller determines the hitch angle based on data received from the first navigation system and the second navigation system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for determining a hitch angle between a vehicle and a trailer, comprising:
a first GPS receiver disposed on-board the vehicle;
a portable electronic device having a second GPS receiver and disposed on-board the trailer; and
a controller for determining a hitch angle based on data received from the first and second GPS receivers and comprising a hitch angle detection module configured to alternate between receiving data from the first and second GPS receivers.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device is coupled to a rear structure of the trailer and is disposed to capture image data rearward of the trailer.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device comprises one of a smart phone and a tablet.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first GPS receiver is operable to determine a vehicle position and the second GPS receiver is operable to determine a trailer position.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller calculates the hitch angle by comparing the vehicle position to the trailer position.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hitch angle detection module comprises a Kalman filter for extrapolating a vehicle position and a trailer position from the data and subsequently computing the hitch angle based on the extrapolated vehicle position and the extrapolated trailer position.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Lavoie Erick Michael
• Kyrtsos Christos

Classifications

• B60W2554/00

  Input parameters relating to objects · CPC title

• B60Y2200/147

  Trailers, e.g. full trailers or caravans · CPC title

• B60W2050/146

  Display means · CPC title

• B60W2300/14

  Tractor-trailers, i.e. combinations of a towing vehicle and one or more towed vehicles, e.g. caravans; Road trains · CPC title

• B62D15/027

  Parking aids, e.g. instruction means · CPC title